*********************
The boat made slow by assuring progress towards the now besieged island of Pallet, all the while Ash stood on the bow and sat in contemplation of the possibilities ahead of him. Misty watched him intently but chose not to disturb him since he was obviously wanted to be alone: she smiled as Flygon hissed at the leering boat captain, making him return to his task.
[This is going to hurt Ash, either way he will feel some pain, but he isn't alone, not this time] she thought
"We're here," the captain said
Misty looked up at a looming cliff face full of jagged and dangerous rocks on the side. The very appearance of the island was frightening and from what Jenny, no, her mother; had said the inside was as rough and tough looking as it's outside. Misty examined her 'tough' clothes: a black shirt with a red vest and jeans. A Phoenix was spreadeagled on the back of the vest. Her new boots were heavy but solid. The shirt was kind of tight around the chest but not enough to cause embarrassment. Ash's clothes were similar but he was in all black aside from his vest, which was dark purple, he had a large dragon on his back. Both were wearing fingerless bike gloves, Misty's were blue and Ash's were red.
"Where do we dock or make landfall?" Ash asked
"For a drop such as this, you'll want that little cave over there: you'll need a water Pokemon to surf to the beach a few miles around, I can't go there cos I'll be seen" the man explained at length
"Fine, just drop us off and be on your way" Ash ordered and jumped off the side onto the rock ledge
"Take care, if you're lucky, you can run legit trips Pallet in a few weeks" Misty said and joined Ash on the shore
The sailor gunned his boat to top speed and went as fast as he could back the way he came. Misty chuckled as she and Ash called out their water Pokemon: Pelipper and Gyarados. The surfing trip was surprisingly lite-hearted and jovial until the saw the beach. The whole area seemed deserted but still with care they dismounted and walked lightly up the fast darkening beach.
"We should set up camp somewhere, we'll make for that small city in the morning. Agreed?" Ash proposed
"Yeah, sounds good to me" Misty replied and sat down in the clearing they'd stumbled upon
Ash went to find some firewood while Misty checked out all their supplies: about a weeks worth of bread, salted pork and cheese, some eggs and bacon and about 5 litres of water. Not much by a long shot but enough to sustain them until they found their way to the city the next day. After getting out a small pan to heat up the salted pork so the sandwich was warmer than the fast turning weather, Ash returned with wood and started the fire. The forest was old and the trees high, the canopy was totally closed and only thin beams of fading sunlight were able to make it through the thick foliage.
"This place seems familiar, quite strange really" Ash muttered to himself
"Come on, your food will be getting cold" Misty jolted him back to reality
"Sorry, looks good" he said and bit into the sandwich: the cheese and pork tasted good together
"Got the sleeping bags?" Misty asked
"Yeah, well, mine at least" he answered
"What about mine?" Misty asked
"I thought you grabbed it" Ash said
The truth then dawned on them: there was only one sleeping bag and it would have to be shared. Not that this was a horrible thought in its own right but given the reason for their visit to the island, it seemed like such a bad set-up that friends would spring upon them if the situation were appropriate. This time however it seemed like a genuine oversight on both their parts. Ash looked at Misty, slightly red.
"Ummm" he offered
"Looks like we're sharing" Misty finished and got into the sleeping bag, to tired to care
Ash also was tired, so with a throwaway gesture he also became suitably attired and got in beside Misty, a large pillow between them. Before Ash nodded off however, he reached for a certain Pokeball and released its occupant: the powerful Dragon named Salamance. The giant beast was fearsome but it remained quiet.
"Keep watch Drake, there are unsavoury types about this place. If you hear anything, wake me immediately" he instructed
The large Pokemon nodded and took up a protective posture over his master and mistress. Ash, satisfied that they were safe with Salamance on guard duty, fell into a pleasant slumber, with his angel by his side, he felt sure of anything going right for him. The warmth generated by both he and Misty kept them both warm and comfortable. By the time Ash had fallen into his deeper sleep, they were cuddled up to one another.
*********************
Salamance was still awake when he heard the rustling in the bushes a few feet from the campsite. Lying flush with the ground and making no noise, he watched to ascertain if this noise was a threat or not. Then with an almost comic like motion, a head popped out of the bush; a dirty looking girl about 10 years old, then beside her came a Meouth. Salamance quickly worked out that these two were foraging for food, and Ash and Misty had some in their pack. Using his tail he gently nudged Ash awake. Ash sat up and looked at the two.
"Ahem, that belongs to me" Ash said with edge
"Eeeep" the girl squeaked at being caught
The Meouth launched itself at Ash, but Salamance quickly came from hiding and with a simple look, stopped the small and malnourished cat from moving. The girl had frozen like a rabbit in a pair of high beam headlights. However all this commotion had also woken Misty up. The scene before her was almost comical: Salamance was staring down a starving Meouth and Ash was giving a black look to the little girl. With a sigh she broke the whole thing up.
"Ash, behave yourself please. As I'm sure you can see, the girl is hungry and we have plenty to eat, we can share" Misty said straightforwardly
"I suppose so. Salamance, its okay, you can stop glaring at the cat, now return" Ash placed the dragon back in his Pokeball
"Hello, my name is Misty, what's yours?" Misty smiled and went over to the little girl
"Natalie, that's Tiger, my Meouth" she replied, pointing to the now relaxed cat Pokemon
"Okay Natalie, my friend is going to cook breakfast for us while we chat" Misty said and gently guided the girl closer to the fire
"Okay, thank you" Natalie replied timidly as she sat down
While Ash cooked, Misty questioned Natalie about herself: any family around, where she lived and the usual sorts of questions that would be asked. Ash on the other hand was keeping a wary eye on both the surroundings and the bacon in the pan. Although he expected living conditions to be below par on this place he wasn't sure if he was prepared to see what he believed lay ahead of him. Shaking these ideas from mind, he served the food.
"Is there a town near here Natalie, where we can get more food?" Ash asked
"Yeah, my town has lots of food, but the gangs control it so we can't get to any of it. That's why I'm out here", she said sadly
"What's the name of the place you're from Natalie?" Ash asked out of curiosity
"Pallet" she answered
Ash froze as he heard the word Pallet and fixed Natalie with an almost mind breaking stare that made the girl wince slightly. With his voice level but his eyes ablaze, Ash asked her to repeat the name of the place she had just said
"Pallet town, its about a mile that way" she replied and pointed north
"Take me there please" Ash said and stood up
"But we have no money to pay the toll-man to get back in" Natalie said
Ash smiled that small smile that Misty knew he used whenever he was going to get one up on a person. Ash cracked his knuckles and withdrew his Pelipper and asked Natalie to get on, then he withdrew Salamance; he then mounted the dragon and got Misty on behind him.
"Give Pelipper directions and we will follow" he explained
[I hope he knows what he's doing] Natalie thought as she asked Pelipper to fly north
*****************
A man on a Pidgeot was scouting an area above the wrecked shell of a town; that was Pallet. He was a lieutenant in the occupying forces and it was his duty to see that no one got in or out of Pallet without paying the toll, although the odd one got out, they never got back in when he was on guard. He was about to knock off duty when he saw a large white bird Pokemon coming towards him. The man told the Pidgeot to hover and await the arrival of the Pokemon and its passenger.
"Halt" he said brusquely
"I'd like to get back into Pallet please" Natalie said, feeling nervous
"Pay the toll kid. It's the rules" he replied
"I don't have any money" Natalie said
"Grrrr, don't mess me about brat!" the man yelled
Natalie cringed but Pelipper growled back with irritation: Pelipper didn't like those who threatened those smaller and weaker than themselves. Ash and Misty took this as their cue and appeared riding Salamance, whose appearance had made sure they knew who was in charge.
"Now listen to me very carefully. We are going to enter Pallet, trying to stop us will incur our wrath" Ash stated simply and sent Pelipper and Natalie on their way back home.
The man on the Pidgeot tried to attack but Salamance was to quick and unleased a Flamethrower attack, a warning shot across the bow as it were.
"I'll tell the boss, you'll pay" he threatened
"My wrath is greater than yours, my power older than imagination. Reprisal is at your own risk" Ash sounded a little melodramatic but he got the desired effect.
The Pidgeot and its rider were scared beyond all comprehension. They took off in the direction of a tall tower with great haste. Ash's own eyes turned to the tower and for a brief second it seemed as if there was a connection between them, an exchange none but they could comprehend. Misty gently prodded him to bring him back to reality.
"Come Shakespeare, lets go" she sniggered
"Well it sounded cool, and it worked" Ash was half joking: his wrath was terrible but his power when combined with another ancient, dangerous power would be unimaginable
They landed in a square where Natalie was being questioned by a large group of people, most of them looked malnourished and hungry. Once Ash and Misty landed, they too were looked at and questioned. Before long however, a burly pair of men, undoubtedly the associates of the man they chased off from the sky came charging through the crowd till they met Ash and Misty
"Care to explain yourself buddy?" one of the spat
"Not to a moron like you, no" Ash answered and brushed past him
"Hey, I'm talking to-" the man was cut off when Ash spun around and using a clenched finger strike to the throat, knocked him down
Misty grabbed the other one with and arm-bar and forced him to his knees before he could act against Ash. Ash raised an eyebrow at her very adeptly executed arm-bar: Misty smiled sweetly
"Waterflower by name only" she said
"Very droll" Ash answered and picked up the man he'd struck in the throat
"Okay shit head, first question: how many of you morons are there in this little town?" he asked
"Fuck you" he answered
"Wrong answer" Ash made a face and punched him in the gut
"Okay, okay, 3. Me, my friend over there and the air patrolman" he spluttered
"Good, second question: where is the food stored?" Ash demanded
"You've got to be kidding" the man cried
Ash growled impatiently and went the next step up and gave a heavy punch to the ribs; a sickening crack indicated that the ribs that were struck had been broken by the strike. The man coughed and spat up some blood, clutching his injury.
"I'm losing my patience with you shit for brains, where is the food?" Ash barked
Misty was taken aback by Ash's behaviour; she attributed it to seeing the way these people were treated by these people. Still, it was frightening to see someone she knew to be gentle most of the time to act out so violently. Her attention was drawn back to Ash fully when he dropped the large gang man to the ground and walked over to a large locked barn. Releasing his Hariyama, Ash ordered the lock broken. Using its powerful arms, Hariyama smashed opened the barn.
"Go, feed yourselves. You, however I want to speak to" Ash said, pointing to an old man
"I thought you might" the man smiled
"May we go somewhere private?" Ash asked
"Of course, follow me" the old, white haired man walked towards a large patch of grass with a row of stones; a graveyard
"What can I do for you?" he asked Ash
"My name, is Ash Ketchum, my mother Delia Ketchum lived here, I wanted to see her" Ash explained
"Ash?" the man spun at the names and looked the young man deep in the eyes
"You know me?" Ash asked shakily
"Yes. I'm Professor Oak, I gave you your first Pokemon, Treeko" Prof. Oak said
"I'm sorry, I don't remember" Ash said with downcast eyes
"What?" Oak asked
"I have amnesia, I don't know what happened or when, but I assure you of my name at least" Ash paused and produced his ruined Pokedex
Prof. Oak took the Pokedex and looked it over for the small identifier panal, it carried a small finger print scanner that could be used to check the holder of the Pokedex was the legitimate owner. He found the small device and asked for Ash's left hand. Ash gently proffered his hand as requested and Oak pressed the left index finger to the scan port. The scan also examined the DNA of the finger and although the Pokedex was damaged this part still worked: the test was positive.
"I can't believe it, you've returned at last" Oak was overjoyed for a brief moment
The as soon as he was happy, Oak was again sad: bad news awaited Ash upon his return home. So sad was the news that his shoulders visibly sagged when he remembered the terrible day; a memory he was about to recount and tell to the one person that it shouldn't ever be told to.
"What's wrong?" Ash asked
"Follow me" Prof. Oak said, walking towards the graveyard
"No…" Ash followed but he was sure he knew what was happening
Misty looked up and saw Ash moving robotically towards a marker stone. Her heart filling with concern she followed him over, also knowing what terrible news awaited him. Ash stopped at a more ornate marker with a name chiselled into it 'Delia Ketchum'. Ash fell to his knees and almost timidly reached out to touch the stone. Misty saw tears welling in his eyes. She reached down and squeezed his shoulder in support.
"I'm sorry Ash, I had a feeling about this, but I hoped that I was wrong" Misty spoke softly
"How?" Ash choked
"A year or so after the breakaway, the gangs began looting. Their first act was to confiscate and maim every strong Pokemon and kill or subdue their trainers. When they came here, Delia fought them with both Pokemon and her fists, until they had her" Oak watched as Ash's eyes emptied of tears, and filled with fire
"Once the Pokemon were gone, it was easy for them to keep us in line with the military equipment and threats of reprisal" the old professor continued
"My mother, you said they had her, so she wasn't dead" Ash grabbed Prof. Oak frantically
"Not when they took her, but when they dumped her body back in the square; I wasn't sure what had happened to her, but she was dead, and if my eyes didn't deceive me that day, she was dead then" Prof. Oak finished
Ash clenched his fist and stood to his full height; eyes ablaze with rage beyond measure and control. The sky turned dark and thunder rolled and lightening cracked above. Cries heralded the arrival of the gang to see why one of their members had been threatened; and now why two others had been assaulted. Ash was still in a state of paralysing rage when the biggest of the five men fronted him in a surely manner. Ash looked up and in a momentary surge of rage, punched the man so hard that he lifted about a foot off the ground.
"Get him" the others yelled, calling in their Pokemon
"Sceptile, Flygon, Salamance. Take care of these insects" Ash called his one Pokemon to battle
The Pokemon owned by the gang members had grown fat and weak in years of non-combat, and as a result were no match for Ash's battle toughened Pokemon and they were quickly suppressed and defeated. In their terror they attacked Ash himself. As if by magic, the supposed Karate skills Ash's profile said he had; now come back to him and he used them to deadly effect. The last man standing called for a gun.
"If you wish to stay alive I wouldn't recommend that" Ash warned
"I'm gonna kill you punk!" the man screamed
"Fine. TEKKAMAN BLADE" Ash now showed one of his aces
The whole town aside from Misty stared in wonder at the transformation. Now in his powerful Teknoman form, Ash disarmed the man quickly and grabbed him by the scruff of the neck and held his lance's tip to his throat. Although his face could not be seen through the helmet, it was clear that there was a cruel if not malicious smile on Ash's face.
"See how it feels, to be in fear of someone more powerful than you. Feel that terror racing through your veins" Ash hissed
"Y, yes" the man answered
"Go back to your leader, tell him that he and all his men have 24 hours to vacate the island and turn themselves into the mainland law enforcement authorities, then I will hunt them down, one by one" Ash dropped his frightened hostage
"TANK!" someone yelled
"Obviously I haven't made myself clear" Ash muttered and turned to the tank
"VOL TEKKA" with that yell, the most powerful weapon Ash had was unleashed, obliterating the tank
There was a great cheer of gratitude and joy at the sight of their oppressors fleeing from an avenging Angel. Ash stood still for a brief minute before taking off into the sky and again his gaze was drawn to the large dark tower in the centre of the island. Misty floated up beside him, also in her Teknosuit. She turned her own eyes to the tower and felt a surge in her body, as if something evil had just breathed down her neck.
"You sensed it too" it was more of a statement than a question
"Yes, I did" Misty answered
"Do you think I just picked a fight that I can't handle" he asked
"A fight you can't handle, maybe, a fight we can't handle, I doubt it" she answered with a wry smile
Ash gently rolled a black and white Pokeball in his hand; the Pokemon inside it would either save this island, or destroy it. Either way, his power was now great and with the help from his ally in the Pokeball, it would be enough. Again lightning cracked overhead.
Inside the tower that Ash and Misty were staring at, a dark presence sat brooding and board until it felt something it had not felt in a long time: challenge and the will to fight. Standing from its throne, the being took heavy metallic footsteps. In its hand was a lance with blood red highlights. A door behind him opened and a fat man in a suit came in
"Sir, we've had some trouble in old Pallet town, some kind of man in a metal suit" he said
"I know" this voice was not like those below him, not cowardly or greedy but cold and ruthless, like a soldier
"What do you want me to do boss?" the fat man asked
"Leave it to me, this is what I've been waiting for" the boss began to laugh maniacally, one red eye lighting up in the darkness.
